Harford County Tourism Organization Sues County Executive

BEL AIR, Md. — A Harford County tourism organization is suing County Executive Bob Cassilly for $290,000, alleging he withheld funds from it and ordered the state not to contact the agency.

Visit Harford!, which has been handling the county’s tourism operations since 2015, said it was supposed to receive $645,000 annually and is suing the Cassilly administration for breach of contract.

The lawsuit is just the latest development in a dispute between Cassilly and Visit Harford! that came to a head earlier this year when the county executive vetoed legislation that would have allowed Visit Harford! to receive a share of the county’s hotel tax revenue.

Cassilly said at the time that it would force him to “allocate funds to an entity independent of the government that is not subject to oversight by my administration, thereby undermining my efforts to control government spending and provide effective oversight of taxpayers’ hard-earned money.”

He emphasized that the county board controls the budget (according to the county statute) and said that “the County Council went overboard in making decisions regarding financing.”

Visit Harford! has oversaw tourism in the county since 2015, when then-County Executive Barry Glassman eliminated the county’s tourism department and made tourism a private organization.

The Glassman administration said at the time it saved the county money.

Visit Harford! said in a press release about its new lawsuit that Cassilly “is so determined to destroy something that works so well for everyone. His actions are hurting local businesses and destroying Harford County’s economy, and setting our community back for years to come.”

The lawsuit also accuses the county executive of ordering the Maryland Department of Commerce not to speak to Visit Harford! and to redirect $50,000 in state tourism grants to the county’s economic development office.

Cassilly responded in a statement that he intends for Harford County officials to manage tourism in the future — a model he said is being used by “Baltimore County and most other Maryland jurisdictions.”

There have been several public clashes between Cassilly and other county leaders in the past year.

Sheriff Jeff Gahler has slammed Cassilly for reaching a plea deal in a 2022 officer-involved shooting and for alleged wiretapping.

County Councillor Aaron Penman has been feuding with Cassilly since 2023, accusing him of violating ethics rules and obstructing approval of the council’s budget.

Harford County District Attorney Alison Healey also threatened to sue the county executive last year.

Here is the County Executive’s full response to Visit Harford!’s lawsuit:
“Tourism is a vital industry in Harford County and the Cassilly Administration is committed to promoting the many wonderful attractions we have to offer. At the same time, tourism marketing is funded by taxpayer dollars and it is critical that this money is used effectively and equitably to support all local businesses and other stakeholders.

Tourism promotion was previously an exclusive function of the Harford County government until the previous administration transferred that responsibility to the nonprofit Visit Harford, although funding continued to come from state and county taxes.

Upon taking office, the Cassilly Administration conducted a review of all county-funded activities. We had concerns about the lack of transparency and effectiveness regarding Visit Harford, but the County Executive decided to spend a full year monitoring and evaluating this nonprofit tourism model.

Over the past year, Harford County has carefully considered all of the tourism models available. The one used by Baltimore County and most other jurisdictions in Maryland has proven to be the clearest and most effective.

So, rather than sign another contract with Visit Harford, we notified them that we would not be renewing it and would instead use Baltimore County’s hybrid model, where the county would contract with a highly professional marketing team rather than a nonprofit organization.

Going forward, Harford County will retain direct oversight of all taxpayer funds allocated to tourism, and services will be provided by the county government and a professional marketing organization.

Over the past year, Visit Harford has received funding, but it was contingent upon meeting certain criteria. We have been working with them to reconcile accounts and monies owed and to find a common path forward. We were disappointed when we received notice of the lawsuit.

The county executive decides who the county’s destination marketing organization (DMO) is for tourism. In most Maryland jurisdictions, that’s the county government. Once that happens in Harford, all future state funding will go to the county government.